This invention relates to a process of producing a granular, free-flowing, non-caking sugar incorporated product. More specifically, this invention relates to a crystallized sugar product which incorporates a heat-sensitive, acidic, or high invert sugar content substance and to a process for making the sugar incorporated product.
In the manufacture of sugar products, a process known as the transforming process is used to produce a dry, granular, free-flowing, non-caking sugar product which is readily dispersed in water. This transforming process has been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,149,682 (Tippens et al.), 3,365,331 (Miller et al.), and 4,159,210 (Chen et al.). In Tippens et al., the method comprises concentrating a sugar syrup to about 95-97% by weight solids by heating the sugar syrup to a temperature in the range of about 250.degree.-265.degree. F., and immediately subjecting the resulting supersaturated sugar syrup to a heat dissipation operation simultaneously with vigorous agitation. The method produces a dry sugar product comprising aggregates of fondant-size (3-50 microns) sucrose crystals. Miller et al. describes a similar process in which impact beating is used to crystallize the sugar product from the supersaturated sugar syrup.
The feed syrup which is used in the processes of Tippens et al. and Miller et al. has a purity in the range of 85-97% by weight sucrose. Thus, invert sugar (equal portions of glucose and fructose), which has a tendency to cake, may not comprise more than about 15% by weight of the feed sugar syrup.
The sugar products prepared in accordance with the processes of Tippens et al. and Miller et al. are useful as carriers for food additives, such as colorants, flavorants, and pharmaceuticals. The food additives may be introduced into the sugar syrup at either the concentration or the crystallization stage of the processes, depending on the nature of the additive. However, the high temperatures used in the transforming process (about 250.degree.-265.degree. F.) restrict the nature of the food additives which may be incorporated into the final sugar product. Heat-sensitive ingredients, such as volatile flavors or enzymes, cannot be incorporated into the sugar product by the methods described. Further, acidic ingredients, such as Vitamin C or fruit juices, change sucrose into invert sugar by the reaction known as sugar inversion. A further restriction in these processes is that the feed syrup must contain less than 15% by weight invert sugar.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a sugar product which incorporates an edible heat-sensitive, acidic, or high invert sugar substance.
It is also an object of this invention to provide this sugar product in granular, free-flowing, noncaking form.
It is also an object to provide this sugar product in a form which is readily dispersed or dissolved in water.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of preparing this sugar product.
These and other objects are accomplished by means of the present invention described below.